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Homemade French Bread
Simple, quick, and easy homemade French bread recipe.
Kids can even make this bread. For real. It’s that easy. Making any bread from scratch can be a daunting task and it’s easy to be intimidated by the whole process. I am going to break it down and hopefully ease any worries. You may even become a master bread maker!
This Homemade Bakery French Bread can be done in a little more than one hour which means you can have hot, fresh bread straight out of the oven when the kids get home from school even if you don’t start baking until afternoon. You won’t need to run to the bakery for your french bread anymore when you can make better bread at home….in no time flat.
I taught a culinary class for kids in both Texas and Arizona and I’ve watched 7-year-olds tackle this homemade French bread recipe. I loved seeing the pictures those kids sent me showing the french bread masterpieces they made for their families.
As a child, I remember riding my bike home from school and opening the back door to the smells of homemade bread baking in the oven. My Mom always said that she could live on bread alone so bread was always essential in our home. There’s nothing more comforting than a hot piece of bread straight from the oven covered in churned butter and homemade strawberry jam.
Let’s get down to the basics so you can start baking.
How to make quick and easy homemade bakery french bread:
- Making sure the yeast proofs is essential. Using fresh yeast is important and mixing with warm water (not too hot, not too cold) will ensure success. Yeast loves sugar so add a pinch of sugar to the mixture. Let it work for about 10 minutes.
- Adding flour one cup at a time is important so you can see when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. That’s when you know it’s ready. Put flour down on the counter so the dough doesn’t stick. That isn’t fun. I love my Bosch mixer and can find a great deal on one below.
- Using rolling pin, roll out into a 9 x 12 rectangle. Roll up lengthwise and mold into french loaf. I love this marble rolling pin.
- The loaves don’t have to look perfect. I rolled these babies in 7 1/2 minutes flat before I sprinted to my little girl’s performance. Don’t forget to make 3-4 diagonal cuts with a sharp knife before placing on silpat or greased cookie sheet. These silicone baking sheets make it so easy to remove the bread from the baking sheet. Let rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden brown. Watch it carefully to turn a light golden brown color.
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Homemade Bakery French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Yeast
- 1/2 cup Warm Water
- 2 cups Hot Water
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/3 cup Oil
- 6 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 Egg for brushing on bread
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve your yeast in ½ cup warm water. Make sure that your water is warm (not too cold, not too hot). Let proof for 10 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour and mix together. Add the yeast mixture to a bowl.
- Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Watch for it to start pulling away from the bowl to know it's ready. Once all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
- Separate your dough into 3 pieces. On a floured surface roll each piece into a 9x12 rectangle. Roll it up like a jelly roll. Shape into a french bread loaf and smooth out edges.
- Place the dough on a greased baking pan or a Silpat, seam side down. Using a knife, make 3-4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch thick in bread. Brush with your beaten egg.
- Let dough rise uncovered for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
- Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy Baking, my friends! I can’t wait to hear what you think about this quick and easy homemade french bread.
Can I bake the dough partially to freeze and cook for another day?
What type of flour do you use, all purpose or bread?
This was a hit. My son said, “MOM, this is the greatest bread you’ve ever made!!!” My entire family loved it. Most bread recipes I’ve found are only really good straight out of the oven. Once they cool, they might as well go in the trash. This one was still wonderful today!🥰
Looking forward to making this French Bread!
I’m looking forward to making your bread for the first time!
Quick question…can the dough be frozen, in order to bake 1 loaf at a time?
Thanks,
Mary
You are better off baking the loaves until they are almost done ( browned but could still brown some more) letting them cool than wrapping them tightly and freezing them. When you are ready to serve the bread let it thaw about halfway then put it in a 300 degree oven until it is fully browned. It will taste like you just baked it.
This bread is great. Easy to fit into your schedule too. And…3 loaves, who could ask for more?
You Easy French bread recipe is simply delicious. It is pretty much a no fail recipe and that works for me. I have shared your recipe with several folks after tasting your bread, and I am thrilled that I can have warm homemade bread with any meal to make it just a little more special. Thank you!
Why are you not using a dough hook in kitchen aid 🤷♀️
I found this to be easy to follow!! It came out looking like the picture! I wish I could post mine!😁 This is the first time I’ve used a stand mixer. I make bread each week and knead by hand! Will make this again!
I’m so happy to have found this simple, quick & delicious bread recipe- thanks for sharing! I make this, usually freeze 2 parts of the dough for later, I’ve even made sweet rolls for breakfast from it. It’s a new staple in our house, especially with winter and lots of hot soup dinners coming.